docs(backlog): B-0443 — launch-substrate carve-out for persona naming in docs/launch/** (resolve recurring Copilot finding)

docs/BACKLOG.md

@@ -490,6 +490,7 @@ are closed (status: closed in frontmatter)._
 - [x] **[B-0420](backlog/P2/B-0420-poll-pr-gate-thread-pagination-bug-2026-05-11.md)** poll-pr-gate.ts thread pagination drift — NOT A BUG (race condition)
 - [x] **[B-0421](backlog/P2/B-0421-grok-peer-call-failure-cursor-agent-exit-1-2026-05-11.md)** Grok peer-call failure — cursor-agent exit 1 during multi-agent review
 - [ ] **[B-0430](backlog/P2/B-0430-peer-call-wrappers-codeql-insecure-tmp-file-all-8-wrappers-substrate-consistent-fix-2026-05-13.md)** Peer-call wrappers — CodeQL insecure-temp-file alert on autogenOutputPath() across all 8 wrappers (substrate-consistent fix needed)
+- [ ] **[B-0443](backlog/P2/B-0443-launch-substrate-carve-out-for-persona-naming-in-docs-launch-2026-05-13.md)** Launch-substrate carve-out — persona naming allowed in docs/launch/** under existing closed-list pattern
 
 ## P3 — convenience / deferred
 

docs/backlog/P2/B-0443-launch-substrate-carve-out-for-persona-naming-in-docs-launch-2026-05-13.md

@@ -0,0 +1,161 @@
+---
+id: B-0443
+priority: P2
+status: open
+title: "Launch-substrate carve-out — persona naming allowed in docs/launch/** under existing closed-list pattern"
+tier: governance
+effort: S
+created: 2026-05-13
+last_updated: 2026-05-13
+depends_on: []
+composes_with: [B-0429]
+tags: [governance, launch-substrate, persona-naming, agent-best-practices, copilot-recurring-finding]
+type: feature
+---
+
+# Launch-substrate carve-out for persona naming
+
+## Origin
+
+Recurring Copilot policy finding observed twice on 2026-05-13:
+
+- **PR #2997** (Otto-section recovery into `docs/launch/zeta-launch-thread.md`):
+  flagged for persona naming ("Otto", "Amara") in current-state
+  doc
+- **PR #3001** (image brief at `docs/launch/2026-05-13-image-brief-for-ani-grok-twitter-launch-hero-image.md`):
+  flagged for persona naming + external creator name ("Brian
+  Clevinger") in current-state doc
+
+Both flag the same policy: `docs/AGENT-BEST-PRACTICES.md` lines
+660-740 "No name attribution in code, docs, or skills" — names
+appear only on the closed-list of history/research surfaces +
+roster-mapping carve-out in governance files.
+
+The existing closed-list:
+
+- `memory/**`
+- `docs/BACKLOG.md` / `docs/backlog/**`
+- `docs/research/**`
+- `docs/ROUND-HISTORY.md`
+- `docs/DECISIONS/**`
+- `docs/aurora/**`
+- `docs/lost-substrate/**`
+- `docs/pr-preservation/**`
+- `docs/hygiene-history/**`
+- `docs/WINS.md`
+- `docs/active-trajectory.md`
+- commit messages, PR titles + bodies
+
+`docs/launch/**` is NOT on the closed list, yet the launch
+substrate operationally requires persona naming because:
+
+1. **Brand register canonized 2026-05-13**: Office paper-factory
+   + 8-Bit Theater stick-figure + Tales-from-the-Loop — these
+   inherently use named characters (Otto = "Michael Scott of
+   the software plant"; multi-agent team named explicitly)
+2. **Multi-agent factory transparency**: the launch substrate's
+   value proposition IS "we have 5 named AI agents committing
+   alongside each other" — naming them is the canonical claim,
+   not an attribution issue
+3. **IP-respect commitment** (canonized today per Brian
+   Clevinger / 8-Bit Theater substrate): when launch substrate
+   composes with external creator's work, attribution is
+   substrate-honest, not policy violation
+4. **Currently merged launch substrate** (`docs/launch/zeta-launch-thread.md`
+   from PR #2980) already uses persona names throughout —
+   policy is already de-facto carved-out at launch-substrate
+   scope
+
+## Proposed amendment
+
+Add `docs/launch/**` to the closed-list in
+`docs/AGENT-BEST-PRACTICES.md`. The launch-substrate carve-out
+rationale: launch substrate is operationally history-tier
+(preserves the public-facing positioning at a specific date),
+NOT current-state behavioral specification.
+
+Proposed wording (insertion point: after `docs/active-trajectory.md`
+line):
+
+> - `docs/launch/**` — launch substrate (public-facing
+>   positioning artifacts; persona names + external creator
+>   attributions allowed because the substrate's job is to
+>   preserve the multi-agent factory's named-team positioning
+>   + IP-respect attribution at a specific date)
+
+## Acceptance criteria
+
+- [ ] Policy line added to `docs/AGENT-BEST-PRACTICES.md`
+      closed-list
+- [ ] Rationale explicitly preserves the multi-agent
+      transparency value
+- [ ] Cross-references the IP-respect commitment for external
+      creator attribution
+- [ ] Future PRs creating files under `docs/launch/**` should
+      not trigger persona-naming policy findings
+
+## Composes with
+
+- `.claude/rules/honor-those-that-came-before.md` (unretire
+  before recreating; persona naming respects existing identity)
+- `.claude/rules/glass-halo-bidirectional.md` (substrate
+  transparency requires named-agent disclosure)
+- `memory/feedback_aaron_ip_respect_revenue_share_or_100_percent_to_original_creator_brian_clevinger_8bit_theater_*.md`
+  (IP-respect commitment; external creator attribution)
+- PR #2997 (Otto-section recovery — recurring trigger)
+- PR #3001 (image brief — recurring trigger)
+- PR #2980 (the launch thread already operating with persona
+  naming throughout)
+- B-0429 (end-user persona mapping — composes; both at
+  persona-naming policy scope)
+
+## Pre-start checklist (per backlog-item-start-gate)
+
+- [ ] Prior-art search: `docs/AGENT-BEST-PRACTICES.md` policy
+      history (any prior carve-out decisions?)
+- [ ] Cross-check: existing launch substrate already on main
+      (PR #2980 + PR #2997 merged content) — confirms
+      operational practice
+- [ ] Verify amendment doesn't conflict with other policy
+      surfaces (`AGENTS.md`, `GOVERNANCE.md`, `CLAUDE.md`)
+
+## Substrate-honest caveats
+
+- This is policy-amendment substrate, not implementation
+- Per the discipline triad (PR #2999): ships unreviewed; the
+  human maintainer's review composes as additive layer if
+  needed
+- Per no-directives rule: this is proposal, not directive
+- Per razor-discipline: operational claim (recurring policy-
+  finding is observable; amendment relieves it)
+
+## Alternative paths
+
+If the carve-out is rejected:
+
+1. **Rewrite launch substrate to use role-refs**: "commit-keeper"
+   instead of "Otto"; "ChatGPT-via-MCP integration" instead of
+   "Amara"; etc. Breaks the Office-paper-factory brand register
+   canonized today.
+2. **Move launch substrate to `docs/research/`**: launch
+   thread becomes "research artifact" — semantically incorrect
+   (launch substrate is public-facing positioning, not research)
+3. **Accept the recurring policy finding as friction**: future
+   Copilot reviews keep flagging; future agents keep resolving
+   with explanations. High notification cost; substrate
+   unchanged.
+
+The carve-out is the substrate-honest option.
+
+## Full reasoning
+
+`memory/feedback_aaron_ship_unreviewed_version_first_review_layers_compose_against_authentic_base_layer_substrate_honest_publication_discipline_2026_05_13.md`
+(the launch-substrate ships-first context)
+
+`memory/feedback_aaron_ip_respect_revenue_share_or_100_percent_to_original_creator_brian_clevinger_8bit_theater_*.md`
+(external creator attribution composes)
+
+`docs/AGENT-BEST-PRACTICES.md` lines 660-740 (the closed-list
+the amendment extends)
+
+PR #2997 + PR #3001 (the recurring policy-finding observations)